Beyond
by BellaBlack98
Summary: Equestria, a peaceful realm of cheerful ponies. No pony really knows what's beyond the borders, no pony really wants to know. But darkness is leaking across the border into Equestria. Princess Celestia dispatches her finest team to discover the problems and fix them. The Elements of Harmony must bring forth peace and friendship amongst all beings, not only ponies, in all lands.
1. Chapter 1

**Beyond**

**Chapter 1**

Twilight Sparkle walked along happily, smiling joyously. She still lived in Ponyville, although she had just learned of her royal status, to begin her royal learning. Her lessons with Princess Celestia had been to teach her the values and characteristics required of a princess, but now that she had learned all that she had to learn to become a princess, she must learn how to be a princess.

But that could all wait. Her friends were throwing a party for her, just the six of them, to have fun their way, without interruption.

She reached Sugarcube Corner, glancing at her reflection in the glass, her purple and pink mane remained in place and her purple coat still shined from her recent bath. Her new wings were well taken care of and her cutie mark still looked the same, she entered the bakery smiling at the childish decorations.

Pinkie Pie was rather good at throwing parties. Her parties were not of status or in any way 'proper' but no one in Ponyville seemed to mind, she was sure to make sure every pony was having a good time, and they were, and that's all that really mattered.

A bell rung over the door, that let the occupants know that someone had entered. Pinkie Pie herself bounced over, smiling widely, her wild hair as pink and bushy as ever. Twilight smiled as Pinkie began a very random conversation that Twilight really had no interest or desire to enter, even if she did understand the topic.

Just in time to rescue her from replying to Pinkie, the bell rang again, and two more ponies entered, one cyan blue, the other a sunset orange. The blue Pegasus smiled.

"Hey Twilight, Hi Pinkie, how's it going?" She asked landing beside Twilight and flipping her rainbow colored mane.

"Great Rainbow Dash, haven't quite gotten used to the wings yet." Twilight said smiling at her dare devil friend.

"Well, all in good time." The orange pony said well naturedly. Applejack had a blonde mane covered slightly with her cowgirl hat, but all the while managed to look well, despite her simple appearance.

The four ponies were only waiting on two more ponies and a baby dragon of course. They chatted calmly, or as calmly as Pinkie could manage, as they waited.

Rarity pranced in with her loosely curled purple mane bouncing about her sleek white body, Spike followed afterwards, practically floating on air as he followed Rarity. The baby dragon was rather whipped about Rarity, but the others pretended not to notice.

Finally, Fluttershy inched in, her bunny and a few birds following, she was extremely shy, as her name suggested, and her pink mane usually covered her face when she wished to avoid confrontation, but with her yellow coat and big blue eyes, she only managed to look cuter, if at all possible.

Twilight couldn't be happier, spending a day with her friends, laughing and having fun, eating sweets and playing games, dancing and chattering, she loved it, that is, until Spike hiccupped a letter from Princess Celestia. It was urgent, and all six of the Elements of Harmony were required. The mission the princess had for them was dangerous, and she advised not to allow Spike to accompany them.

Immediately Twilight notified her five friends and apologized to Spike.

"We don't have time to get our things or take a train, girls." Twilight said shaking her head. Her Unicorn horn shined a faint purple before all six ponies vanished, appearing just outside the castle in Canterlot.

The castle itself was astonishing. Huge white pillars of marble, golden door frames, and intricately carved mahogany doors, window sills shined with black edging and the lightning rods shimmered in the sunlight. The castle was indeed grand. Twilight led her friends inside; the interior was just as beautiful and ornate as the exterior. Grand, stained glass windows depicted scenes from history, the tiles on the floor shimmered from cleanliness and the wood paneling was carved in intricate designs depicting magic and other moments of history. It could be assumed that those who upkeep the castle were much infatuated with the history of Equestria.

But no one had the time to admire the scenery; they trotted to the princess's chamber, where they met with Princess Luna, just as they were entering the great mahogany door. She bowed her head in greeting.

"Hello Princess Twilight, her friends, we are pleased to encounter you once again." She said standing taller than even Twilight. Her dark mane flew out as if a breeze was constantly blowing it out forwards.

Twilight bowed for her. "Princess Luna, it's great to see you again!"

They walked through the door to find Princess Celestia, a superior Alicorn, standing admiring the stain glass with a brooding expression. She looked to her left to find the seven ponies walking through the door and into her chamber.

"Hello Princess Twilight, sister, friends, how lovely to see you all again, unfortunate circumstances, but still lovely." The ruler of all of Equestria said smiling graciously. "I would continue with happy chatter, but we are short on time. So, we need to begin."

"Princess Celestia, hello, what's wrong?" Twilight questioned, walking towards her mentor.

"I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure. You see, I rule the day in all of Equestria, but there is land beyond Equestria beyond the realm we are familiar with. Chaos and terror is blooming beyond Equestria's borders, where my sun does not reach, a great ruler, King Clamosis, rules over an empire suspended in war." Celestia explained calmly. "The terror is beginning to spread across Equestria's borders. I'm afraid I don't know much else. I'm sending you and your friends to travel beyond Equestria's realm to discover the roots of this unrest and to end it, hopefully improving our relations with the kingdom."

Twilight and the others took a silent moment to digest this. Luna stepped forward. "It is a very dangerous place beyond Equestria; we hope you do not take this assignment lightly."

"Of course not Princess, we won't fail you." Twilight said bowing her head.

"Besides," Rainbow Dash said smirking. "Danger is my middle name!"

"Right," Twilight said sarcastically, glaring at her Pegasus friend. "We'll leave at once."

"I've arranged for your brother and Princess Cadence to accompany you to the border." Celestia explained smiling down on her student.

Twilight smiled as her brother, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadence entered the chamber. Twilight bounced over to Cadence, chanting their special greeting together.

"Sunshine, sunshine, lady bugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" They chorused, laughing.

Luna frowned down upon them, while Celestia merely chuckled. Shining Armor hugged his little sister, they were extremely close as children, and now that both were royal, as well as important figures, they spent very little time together.

They left the castle in one big talkative group, Twilight and Shining Armor talking of their trip that lay ahead. Twilight learned that it will take them a day and a half across stormy and dangerous seas to get to the border, where they would leave the six to their own devices on the shore.

Rainbow Dash was too busy boasting to her friends about her ability to handle danger to hear about the monsters that lurked in the stormy waters they must cross. If she had, perhaps she wouldn't have been so cocky, but nonetheless, the group of eight set off immediately to a waiting sailboat.

**A/N Hello! So, yeah, been awhile. I've been battling with a MILLION different ideas. I'm literally losing hours of sleep every night because I'm thinking on over time. So. Welcome to my new story! Thanks for reading! Can't wait to really delve into it and see where it takes me. **** Review and tell me what you think so far!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Rainbow Dash was curious. She was not scared, nor nervous, nor anxious; she was curious. What waited beyond the border? She was going to find out and if anything other than curious, Rainbow Dash was excited.

Rainbow Dash liked to fly, she flew every day, and she flew during the night too, she only stopped to sleep, and that was because she tended to overexert herself. But being grounded on a tiny sail boat with seven other ponies that didn't know the first thing about sports, other than perhaps Applejack, and a sketchy sail pony that only talked in warnings and ghost tales with an eye patch, was absolutely torture. Then again, she liked ghost tales, she loved adrenaline, but these ghost tales were amusing at best.

So Rainbow Dash resigned herself to talking to Fluttershy about animals. Something she still didn't care much for, but she liked Fluttershy, and she wasn't as obnoxious as the others.

Finally the sailboat landed on a few jagged rocks. The Sail Pony refused to go much further, and Cadence and Shining Armor couldn't go either, so the six were left to their own devices just across the border of Equestria and the unknown.

It was nighttime when they landed, and Rainbow Dash wanted to go exploring immediately. Twilight however, forced all six of them to find a dry place to rest before setting forth, in the day time, to find someone with information about where they were and what was going on.

Rainbow Dash slept with the others, admittedly tired, before she woke up several hours later, it was still dark. She yawned and began to pace, waiting for sunrise, as the others began to wake up, slightly confused.

Twilight stood and glanced around the six ponies in confusion. "Why is there no sun? We've been sleeping for twelve hours at least."

"I don't care, let's go! I wanna find something to do!" Rainbow Dash complained impatiently.

"Didn't the princess say that we're somewhere where the suns don't reach?" Applejack slurred in her odd accent. No other pony had that accent, but Rainbow Dash ignored it.

Twilight looked back at her friends. "I guess you're right, I didn't think that she was being serious."

"Well come on then!" Rainbow Dash urged her friends. "Let's figure this thing out!"

Finally the other five mares followed her through the dark forest. None of the six friends could see through the darkness, and all of them gained many a scratch and cut from the sharp, menacing vines and brambles.

Rainbow Dash smashed into several trees before she gave up on flying and walked beside her friends. There was a quiet chatter of the many possibilities, each pony posing their own outrageous hypothesis, that is, until Twilight silenced them.

"Do you girls hear that?" She said straining her ears towards the distant sounds.

Rainbow Dash and the others strained to listen for the sound Twilight had heard. "Sounds like a bunch of explosions." Applejack drawled her voice cutting through the silence.

"Oh, goodness!" Rarity gasped. "There must be real chaos! Do you think perhaps Discord escaped here and has gone back to his chaotic ways?"

"Oh no, that can't have happened. Discord and I have afternoon tea every Thursday, he's still there in Equestria, and he's adjusting to normal civilian life just fine." Fluttershy said proudly.

"Maybe he's on a day trip." Twilight said dryly. "No, it's not Discord, those explosions are too patterned, and nothing else is out of the ordinary, perhaps the lack of sun, but Celestia warned us of that, so obviously it can't be Discord."

Pinkie Pie gasped loudly. "It's a party! And I wasn't invited? I can't believe this!" She began ranting loudly.

Applejack rolled her eyes and slammed a foot over Pinkie's mouth to extinguish her complaints. "It's not a party Pinkie, it's something else."

"Well we won't find out until we get there!" Rainbow Dash said stepping forward with her chest puffed out. "Let's go!"

Twilight nodded and took the lead once again. Fluttershy inched closer to Rainbow Dash after every crackle and ruffle of the leaves and twigs beneath their hooves. Rainbow Dash ignored her timid friend and allowed her to continue coming closer.

It was at that moment that a pony burst through the bushes and landed directly in front of Twilight. The young colt looked up with wide navy blue eyes, his navy blue coat only barely shown through the darkness, in seconds he jumped up and ran off disappearing entirely back into the shadows.

"Wait! We want to help you!" Twilight shouted after him, galloping through the brambles after him. But there was no trace of him beyond the bush they had seen him jump into. He made not a sound, nowhere to be found, the six were forced to give up the search for him and continue on towards the explosions.

"Hey look!" Rainbow Dash said hovering just above Fluttershy's timid head, pointing in the distance. "I see light!"

Twilight struggled to take off into the air, hovering sloppily directly beside a more graceful Rainbow Dash, as to be expected from a princess adjusting to her wings comparing herself to a talented athlete, and looked off to where Rainbow Dash was pointing with her front hoof.

"I do too!" Twilight said nodding to the grounded mares. "Wait, it's shimmering. That's, that's a fire!"

"Come on!" Rainbow Dash shouted, leading the group as they pounded towards the light.

They slowed when they noticed buildings entering their field of vision. Not a single light shone from the small, rundown cottages, the daunting figures cast dark shadows against the light from the fire.

They walked hesitantly through the perimeter of the small town, not a single pony was in sight. Rainbow Dash, confused and slightly anxious, took off into the air, landing on the roof of one of the houses. Twilight appeared next to her and what the two saw, shocked them to the core.

A giant fire burnt, originating from what Rainbow Dash assumed to be the town hall, it had spread to much of the surrounding neighborhood on the other side of town and to the shops nearby in the market place in the center of town. Twilight froze. She only saw a flash or two of a pony's eyes and they were gone again, a wing flap, and then as soon as she saw it, it disappeared again. She watched as giant fiery balls flew through the air, having been launched by some pony or something else, towards the other side of town.

Briefly the mares heard frightened, nay terrified, screams before suddenly, the noise ended.

It was an outright war. Twilight had never seen something so horrifying as this, possibly because she couldn't locate the attackers, or because she had never seen sheer violence before.

No pony from Equestria could ever imagine something like this; they were sheltered in that respect. Twilight and Rainbow Dash suddenly realized just how fortunate they were to have a peaceful, uncorrupt, and reliable leader that maintained balance and happiness within her kingdom and amongst her subjects.

Rainbow Dash was the first to recover and bolt down to her friends. She reported to them just what she and Twilight had seen.

The other four mares met her with disbelief and frustration that she would make up such a disturbing and impossible story like that at a time like this, but when they registered the panic in her voice and on her face, they realized that she wasn't lying. It was true, everything she said, was true.

Twilight glided down in shock and horror as she confirmed the story with a truly terrified expression. None of the mares had ever seen anything like this.

Finally, Rainbow Dash began to calm down. "Okay, calm yourself Rainbow." She muttered to herself as Twilight tried to calm Rarity and Fluttershy, both of whom were on the verge of panic.

Pinkie Pie seemed confused as to what was going on and only watched in silence. Applejack stood stock still as she listened to the deafening explosions that seemed to get closer and closer.

"Dashie!" Applejack snapped suddenly, ending Rainbow Dash's soft muttering and tense expression. "Go fly up there! I think there's those bomb things' coming closer to where we are!"

Rainbow Dash nodded, saluting her and flying upwards to stand by a chimney, reaching upwards from one of the small, crumbling cottages.

She stood just out of the shadows to look up at the sky. She saw nothing and turned to Applejack. Applejack looked up in horror, confusing Rainbow Dash until she was hit hard in the side, enough to knock the wind from her lungs and her entire body from the building and onto the ground with a loud thud.

The other five mares stared in wonder and apprehension as the thing that had collided with Rainbow Dash stood, revealing a mare.

This mare was different. As if she wasn't a mare at all, perhaps not even pony, but she looked like a pony. Her coat was a shining black, almost silvery in the fire light; her legs were longer, her whole essence just bigger than most ponies, although she wasn't as large as Luna. Her wings were thrust out to her sides, her black feathers glistened. But her feathers weren't rounded like Rainbow Dash's, or Fluttershy's, or even Twilight's, they were pointed, their appearance gave the idea that they could cut through steal, they looked razor sharp. Her wings were large, her wingspan perhaps a little over twelve feet. Her mane was a navy blue, like the night sky, as silky and deep as Princess Luna's mane, but not as royal. Her mane was cut into shaggy layers, taking from her royal appearance, but giving her a war torn and tough aura. Her eyes were a deep crimson, glowing in the fire light and gave the impression of anger and evil.

But as she stood, her hooves planted on the ground and her wings ruffled, she looked defiant, rebellious, and awe inspiring. But before anyone could react, a fire ball hit the buildings behind the seven occupants of the street.

"Quick," The mysterious mare said simply. "Follow me, Equestrians."

Twilight's curiosity peaked as Applejack rushed forward to pick up her dazed friend and follow the mysterious mare that had saved Rainbow Dash's life. They pounded through town as it quickly caught flames and began to fall to the ground. The air was thick with ash, but the mysterious mare seemed not to mind.

They arrived in an empty meadow, where the wind blew towards the fire, eliminating the possibility of the fire reaching them. Applejack set the rainbow Pegasus and turned to the mysterious mare.

"Who're you?" She asked bluntly, perhaps coming off as rude, but no one called her on it.

The mysterious mare chuckled and walked towards Rainbow Dash. In the light, and now that the mares were more aware of her presence, they noticed her cutie mark, a navy blue lightning bolt. "I'm sure she'll be fine. I didn't mean to hurt her. But it's better than being burnt to a crisp. What are you doing here, Equestrians? This is no place for ponies."

Rainbow Dash stirred to consciousness, helped to her feet by Applejack and Fluttershy, she listened to what the mysterious mare had to say.

Twilight stepped forward. "What do you mean no place for ponies? Are you not a pony yourself?"

The mysterious mare chuckled. "I am Shadow Flight. I'm not a pony. Ponies don't live here."

"Then, then what are you?" Rarity said stepping forward cautiously.

"I'm an Opacus Caliginis." Shadow Flight said proudly. "I live in the darkness."

"I've never heard of that before!" Pinkie Pie said laughing and bouncing around the new friend. "I'm Pinkie, and this is Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and that's Rainbow Dash over there, thanks for saving her that was really awesome, I think you're really cool. How'd you get your mane like that? Do you have some weird sleep schedule since there's no sun here? Do you know where the moon is because I noticed that there isn't a moon so it must be day time but I'm not really sure and I just really, really, really,_ really,_ wanna know?" Pinkie Pie ranted without stopping for breath.

Shadow Flight looked slightly horrified by Pinkie Pie's antics. "Ignore her Sugarcube; she tends to be that way." Applejack said kindly.

Rainbow Dash pushed herself off from her friends shoulder and stood straight, shaking out her mane and looking at her rescuer.

"Uh, thanks I guess." She said awkwardly, not used to thanking people for something she could have handled on her own.

Shadow Flight nodded her head, smiling slightly. "I guess it was my pleasure."

Rainbow Dash looked a bit piqued at the sarcasm. "I could have handled it on my own."

"You would have baked like a pastry."

"I would not! I can handle myself!" Rainbow Dash snarled.

"Sure, there's no doubting that much." Shadow Flight said, still smiling. "I just helped you out a little."

"Well I don't need your help."

"Then don't take it." Shadow Flight shrugged. "But just so that you six understand, you're not in Equestria anymore, things are different here."

"Wait!" Twilight called. "How did you know that we're from Equestria?"

Shadow Flight chuckled. "Because you're ponies, you have lighter coats, and brighter manes, especially that of your hot headed friend over there. You stick out radically. You might want to fix that."

"Why?" Twilight said rushing forward, hoping to stop the mare. "Please, we need your help. Please stay."

Shadow Flight looked down on the young Alicorn. "I've never seen a pony like you. A horn and wings? I don't understand."

Twilight looked over her shoulder at her new wings. "I'm an Alicorn, because I'm a princess."

Shadow Flight burst into laughter. "A princess, here? Your queen must dislike you very much to send you here. This place is crawling with all sorts of creatures and dangerous things. What's even scarier though, is the army of King Clamosis. They're a bunch of thieves and thugs that have gained power and permission to do as they please, so long as Clamosis gets what he wants." Shadow Flight said dourly. "We've been suspended in Civil War for decades, generations, and centuries even. They tore our nation apart. The Opacus Veneficum against the Opacus Caliginis, against the Opacus Nomadis, it's sick. There's no equality, no freedom, no hope."

"What are the other two creatures you mentioned?" Twilight asked, shoving a hoof over Rainbow Dash's mouth as she poised to insult the Caliginis.

"Well, the Opacus Veneficum are magical creatures that live amongst the shadows. They have magic that equals, if not exceeds that of a unicorn's magic. An Opacus Nomadis resembles the orange pony there, and the pink pony there, but they travel amongst shadows and darkness."

"So they're a darker version of the Equestrian ponies." Twilight summed up simply.

Shadow Flight nodded slowly. "Close, sure, that's one way to explain it." She said chuckling. "What exactly are you here for anyway?"

**A/N Second chapter! Woo! So, yeah, review and tell me what you think so far? I don't know where it's going yet, but I'll know when it gets there! Lol.**


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